Podcast

Local Voices for Sustainability

How are cities creating more sustainable urban environments? In Local Voices for Sustainability , the ICLEI Europe podcast, we sit down with advocates, experts and officials from ICLEI Europe member cities to discuss their sometimes rocky, but always interesting, journey towards a more sustainable future.  

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Our May 2023 feature article is read aloud by Communications Officer, Anna Westervelt, who describes how, through peer exchange, cities can apply, renew, and draw inspiration from tried-and-true solutions to shape new sustainable urban mobility systems of the future. To read the article for yourself, subscribe to the ICLEI Europe newsletter.


Our April 2023 feature article is read aloud by Junior Communications Officer, Jacob Broehm, who outlines an exciting funding programme spearheaded by ICLEI Europe, and funded by Google.org. The programme awards €7 million to six European cities that are using data to implement inclusive climate action projects. To read the article for yourself, register for the ICLEI Europe newsletter.


Urban greening - does it do more than provide shade and brighten up our skylines? Yes! Ana Mitic-Radulovic from the Centre for Experiments in Urban Studies (CEUS), based in Belgrade, Serbia, explains the broad impact urban greening can have - particularly when co-created with the local community. In this episode, we hear how projects like CleverCities are helping to grow Belgrade's green space, as well as a new park which is shaking things up locally.


Our March 2023 feature article is read aloud by Senior Coordinator Simon Clement, who previews a new report on the key trends and challenges regarding how circularity is being implemented in Europe’s urban areas. He also describes what ICLEI Europe is doing to help leverage cities’ vast potential to help Europe move from linear to circular. To read the article for yourself, register for the ICLEI Europe newsletter.


If a city prioritises having a rich cultural scene is it also more sustainable? Are nature and culture a match made in heaven? We sit down with Katarzyna Roj, a curator at a city-supported gallery in Wrocław, Poland to find our answer. We discuss, among many things, the game-changing transformation of a local waste treatment centre into an urban nature escape and space for social gatherings.


Our February 2023 feature article is read aloud by Communications Officer, Katherine Peinhardt, who outlines the potential that culture and cultural heritage can have when intertwined in the transition to a sustainable future. She also describes what ICLEI Europe is doing to encourage its member cities to integrate culture into their sustainability efforts. To read the article for yourself, register for the ICLEI Europe newsletter.


Our January 2023 feature article is written and read aloud by Wolfgang Teubner, Regional Director Europe. In this annual outlook on the year ahead, he maps out why stronger local and regional governments are needed to build resilience in times of crisis. To read the feature article for yourself, register for the ICLEI Europe newsletter.


In our new mini segment called, 'Features', a member of the ICLEI Europe staff reads the monthly feature article aloud. For the month of December, Communications Officer, Jon Jonoski, tells us about ICLEI Europe's involvement at the United Nation's Biodiversity Conference, known as CBD COP15, held in Montreal. To read the article for yourself, register for the ICLEI Europe newsletter.


The United Nations Biodiversity Summit, COP15, is now taking place in Montreal - with an entire session dedicated to women. That got us thinking, "what role does gender play in the creation of sustainable cities?" To find an answer, we sit down with Linda Gustafsson, Gender Equality Officer at the City of Umeå (Sweden). We discuss privilege, men riding the bus, Umeå's involvement in the GoGreenRoutes project and more.


Each month, ICLEI Europe publishes a feature article via its newsletter. In a new mini podcast segment called 'Features', a member of the ICLEI Europe staff reads the feature article aloud. This month, Communications Officer, Adrienne Kotler, tells us about ICLEI Europe's  involvement in the United Nation's annual climate conference, COP 27,  held in Sharm El-Sheikh. To read the article for yourself, register for the ICLEI Europe newsletter.


In the lead up to COP26 last year, the city of Glasgow firmly set itself on the path towards a more sustainable and just transition. In our inaugural episode, we sit down with Gavin Slater, Head of Sustainability at Glasgow City Council, to discuss the city's sustainability successes, shortcomings and its role in the RUGGEDISED smart city project. Note: this conversation was recorded in April 2022.